Wire-stretcher.



PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906.

J. H. HEISEY. WIRE STRBTOHER. APPLICATION FILED JUNII4,1906.

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ATTOR/V TERS co., WASHINGTON. n. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WlRE-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 20, 1906.

Application filed June 4,1906. Serial No. 320,109.

To all whom it may concern! Be it known that 1, JOHN H. HEIsEY, acitizen of the United States, residing at Monticello, in the county ofJones and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements inWVire-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

In the practical use of wire-stretchers it is often found necessary tomend broken wires by splicing the ends or introducing an extra piece anduniting them together.

One of the objects of my invention is to meet that necessity by changeand addition to Letters Patent granted and issued to me forwire-stretcher on the 24th day of November, 1903, No. 745,013, wherebythe stretcher may be rendered more convenient and effective in thefield.

Another object is to reduce to a minimum the danger to the operatorcaused by the sudden recoil attendant upon the breaking of theoverstretched wire and also to so remodel the stretcher that it will bemore convenient and effective in general use.

The following specification will point out in detail the changes andgive the mode of constructionwhereby I accomplish the objects sought.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my device when used in stretching andsecuring the wire to fence-posts. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of thesame when in position for splicing or mending the broken wire. Fig. 3 isa top view. Fig. 4 is a side elevation. Fig. 5 is a perspective view ofthe operating-lever. Fig. 6 is a side view of one of the clamps. Fig. 7is a top view of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a sectional detail view of the drum.

Like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in each of thedrawings.

Referring to the drawings, 2 designates the frame, which is preferablyconstructed of metal, with its sides 5 and 6 parallel for a portion ofthe distance and then converging together at both ends, as shown inFigs. 1, 2, and 3. At one end of the frame the two side pieces 5 and 6are united together and form a flat plate 8, through which is an opening10, in which opening is secured an anchoringchain 11, and upon the plate8 in the rear of the opening 10 is secured a hook 12, which projectstoward the center of the frame for purposes presently to appear. At theopposite end of the frame the side pieces are bent at an angle and forma head 14, with a perforation therethrough.

Between the side pieces 5 and 6 and rigidly journaled on the axis 4 is ahollow drum 16, provided on one side with a ratchet 18, having teeth 19,and also provided with atapering slot 20, in which a cable 22 is securedto the drum by forming a knot on the inner end of the cable andinserting it in the slot at its widest portions and then sliding italong in the slot toward the narrowest end, where the edges of the slotwill prevent all removal. At the outer end of the cable is removablysecured a clamp 42, adapted to clasp the wire to be stretched and holdit firmly. Upon the side piece 5 of the frame is pivoted a pawl 24(shown most clearly in Fig. 4 of the draw ings) between lugs 25,integral and at right angles to the frame, and integral with the pawl isa thumb-latch 26. This pawl is held in engagement with the ratchet-teeth19 on the ratchet 18 by a spring 28, which is seated upon the side piece5 and exerts an upward pressure against the under side of the thumblatch26.

The operating handle or lever consists of a grasping-handle 32, a body34, and two arms and 36. These arms are journaled on a shaft 4, one oneach end of the drum. Integral with the arm 35 is a pawl 40, whichprojects laterally from the arm 35 and is adapted to be brought intooperative engagement with the teeth 19 on the ratchet 18. The inner endof the arm 35 is provided with a slot 41, whereby it is journaled on theshaft 4 and permits a yielding and endwise movement of the arm 35 toadapt the pawl to freely engage with and be disengaged from the teeth19.

The anchoring-chain 11 is preferably made of links ofsufficient size forthe engagement with the hook 12 and is removably attached to the plate 8in the opening 10. The chain is also provided with a clamp 45, removablysecured to one end.

The manner of operating my device is substantially as follows: The cable22 is inserted through the perforation 15 in the head 14, and a knot isthen formed on the end of the cable and inserted in the widened portionof the slot 20 and moved along until it is held firmly by the edges 48of the drum at the narrower point of the slot. Then the wire to bestretched is inserted in the clamp 42, and the anchoring-cable 11 isbrought around I the post 44 and into engagement with the This can beadjusthook 12 on the plate 8. ed by engaging the hook 12 with a link inthe chain, according to the position it is desired to use the stretcher.The operator then grasps the handle 32 and rotates it to the rear ortoward the post 44, when the pawl 40 will engage the ratchet-teeth 19,and when the operator forces the handle toward the left the pawl willrotate the drum and wind the cable on the drum and stretch the wire, andthe pawl 24 will engage the teeth 19 and hold the drum from backwardrotation. When, however, it is desired to unwind the cable from thedrum, the operator turns the stretcher over till the operating-lever isbeneath the drum, when by gravity the lever will drop or descend, andthen by reason of the slot 41 in the arm 35 the pawl 40 on the arm 35will be released from engagement.

with the teeth 19 by the gravity of the operating-lever. the operatorpresses upon the thumb-latch 26 and releases the pawl 24, which willpermit the drum to turn in the opposite direction and unwind the cable.When it is desired to splice the barbed wire 50, the stretcher isapplied as before, with the exception that there is attached to theanchoring-cable 11 a clamp 45, which is brought into engagement with thewire instead of engagement with the anchoring-post 44, and the cable islinked into the hook 12. Then the two wires are brought together byoperating the lever 30, as before described, and whenthe wires are inengagement with each other they may be twisted together and. spliced orthey may be interlocked with each other, forming a loop, or in anyconvenient manner.

It will be noticed that by this mode of construction the finger on thearm of the operating-lever is dispensed with, the mode of attaching theanchoring-chain is changed so that the draft on the stretcher is fromthe center and the stretcher may be turned over to accommodate theoperator while splicing the wires and also to reduce to a minimum thedanger caused by the breaking of the overstretched wires, as theoperator can readily turn the stretcher to a position between himselfand the wire to be spliced or stretched. Another advantage is therapidity of adjustment in the field as well as the ease and conveniencein splicing while putting together new fences or splicing and mendingbroken wire.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a device of theclass described a hol- As soon as this pawl is released low drumsupported for rotation and. having a tapering longitudinal slot, incombination with a flexible member having a knot inserted through theslot and retained between the converging edges of the latter.

2. In a wire-stretcher a frame, a hollow drum supported for rotation inthe frame and having a tapering slot, means for rotating the drum in onedirection, pawl-andratchet means for preventing backward rotation of thedrum and a cable having a knot inserted through the tapering slot of thedrum and retained between the converging edges of said slot.

3. A wire-stretcher comprising a frame provided with a hole or openingat each. end, a hook attached to one end of the frame and projectingtoward the center of the frame, a drum journaled in the frame andprovided with a ratchet, a cable upon the drum and extending throughtheopening at one end of the frame, a clamp secured to the cable, and anoperating-lever having a pawl adapted for engagement with the ratchetupon the drum, in combination with an anchoring-chain secured in thehole at one end of the frame and a clamp on said chain; the links of thelatter being adapted for removable engagement with the hook on theframe.

4. A wirestretcher comprising a frame provided with an opening at eachend, a hook secured near the opening at one end of the frame andprojecting toward the center of the frame, a drum journaled in the frameand provided with a tapering slot, a ratchet secured upon one end of thedrum, a cable secured in the slot of the drum and passing through theopening at one end of the frame, a clamp connected with the cable, anoperating-lever provided with two arms pivotally engaging the shaft ofthe drum adjacent to the ends of the latter, one of said arms beingprovided with a slot engaging said shaft, a pawl rigidly secured uponthe slotted arm of the lever and adapted to engage the ratchet on thedrum, an anchoring-chain secured in the opening near one end of theframe adj a cent to the hook and a clamp on the anchoring-chain, thelinks of the latter being adapted for detachable engagement with thehook. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN H. HEISEY. Witnesses:

A. G. BANDER, KATHRYN YOUNG.

